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I am putting together a series of blog posts about Radio Free Europe and Czechoslovakia, 1968.
In doing so so, I came across a clandestine radio station called Radio Vltava that broadcast
from East Germany into Czechoslovakia in support of the Soviet invasion and occupation.
There is little coverage in English about Radio Vltava but some information in German and Czech.
I also was able to come up with an audio of one of the first broadcasts as the station signed on.
I thought, and perhaps others, might find the blog interesting.
The article spotlights Operation FOCUS, which was the combined balloon/leaflet and RFE broadcast endeavours 1954-56. Richard notes that Part 2 will be posted next week and will cover the controversial RFE broadcasts during the revolution.
My post was written some time earlier and scheduled to publish Saturday while I was traveling. Unfortunately, the Cold War Radio Vignettes articles I had linked to were removed prior to Saturday.
I contacted Richard Cummings who has kindly assembled a small PDF booklet with the text from all of the posts I had referenced and is allowing me to share it here on the SWLing Post.
Richard asks that if any Post readers have information about these clandestine broadcasts and is willing to share it with him, he would me most thankful. His contact information is on the front page of the PDF.
UPDATE: The links to Cold War Radio Radio Vignettes below became inactive just prior to publication. Richard Cummings has kindly assembled the texts I referenced and made a PDF booklet available for SWLing Post readers. Click here to download.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Kim Elliott who (some time ago) shared a link to a series of posts by Richard Cummings from his website, Cold War Radio Vignettes.
Cumming’s blog is updated frequently and features many fascinating historical “vignettes” regarding Cold War radio broadcasting.
Kim specifically mentioned a series of posts with a focus on Cold War American broadcasting from Greece, suggesting SWLing Post readers might enjoy this bit of Cold War history. I completely agree!
Below, I’ve linked to a total of six posts Cummings published on the topic. Enjoy:
Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece
Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece, to Ukraine